The Blossom
by Kagome023
Summary: Uchiha? He's come back? Sakura is she safe? SasuSaku and ItaSaku, maybe a possible SaiSaku
1. Betrayal?

**Chapter 1 - A Betrayal?**

Thunder clapped. Those emerald green eyes did not be shooken by the loud crackle of the thrunder strikes. The shoulders that the soft pink hair rested on were tensed up.

_How could he do this?_

Her soft hands were clenched as fists, grasping onto the soft fabric of her white sweatpants. Not even the soft fabric could release her tension. The thunder struck again.

_What was his motive?_

Her once clear windows were now covered by the rain pouring down hard onto the strong village. Her shoes rested on the mat by the front door covered in mud. Her bottom rested on the large furbished chair facing toward the kitchen while the couch faced the window. The kitchen was dark and cold while the living room only had one small light by the couch turned on. Lightning flashed and lit up the small dark room.

_Who was he against?_

A young man sat on the couch next to her chair. His arms were croseed on his chest. The girl's emerald eyes squinted to the bright light.

_Where did he get the idea to do this?_

Her tear ducts couldn't take it and reacted to the dark aura of the girl. Those emerald eyes were filled with clear water. Her silent sobs could be heard by the man.

_When did he plot to do this?_

His voice was muffled out by her ears. Another loud boom came from the dark clouds in the sky.

_Why would he want to do this?_

The man sighed. He raised from the cocuh. He was a tall and muscular man. He placed a firm grip on both of the woman's shoulders. He kneeled down to look at her face.

_The 5 W's and 1 H... He did it... _

"Sakura... Sakura... snap out of it," the man said.

Th girl looked up to see the face of the man who was with her at that very moment. He was the one that rescued her.

_The man that haunted me for all those years..._

"Naruto," she said, biting her lip. She tried to stop those flowing tears.

_Those red eyes... They would never go away..._

"Sakura, he will be hunted down. You won't have to worry," the blond haired man said with his fox grin. Sakura lightly smiled.

_Uchiha..._

"He will be hunted for what he has done. He cost the village a lot of grief," the man said. Sakura nodded. The scrape on Naruto's arm was visible. He saved her. He saved Sakura from that blow the Uchiha unleashed.

_Uchiha..._

"What was his motive?" Sakura asked to herself.

"I think it is because of your mask,"Naruto said, pointing to the mask that was split in half. That wolf mask now rested on the floor of the small apartment. It was split in half by the same blow that got Naruto. The mask of an...

_Uchiha..._

ANBU Captain, captain of all ANBU of the Konoha Village. The leader of all ANBU teams and assignments. There in the room was the strongest female in the village, and she was also the ANBU captain of Konoha. Haruno sakura, the cherry blossom of Konoha, was no longer a fragile flower.

"He might've targeted me for that. He saw my face, and he left the moment he saw it, but what reason would he have to target the ANBU captain and not the hokage?" the 19 year old Haruno said. She looked at the scrape on Naruto's arm again. She grabbed Naruto's right arm and took a quick look at the scrape. Her eyes widened fear.

_Uchiha..._

"Ne, Sakura-chan. What's wrong?" Naruto panicked. He acted like he did back when he was 12 when he first got poison when he was at the mission for the bridge builder.

"The wound is poisoned," Sakura said, stunned that he would do this. He meant to kill her. If the blow didn't kill her, the poison would. Naruto would die if she didn't get him to the konoha hospital. She was a trained medic nin, but she didn't have the supplies to successfully remove the poison. Naruto eyes were wide as dinner plates.

"S-Sakura-chan, can you remove it now?" Naruto asked. She shook her head and looked into Naruto's eyes. "Damn that bastard..."

_Uchiha..._

"It's not the time to fool around, Naruto. Let's get you to the hospital," Sakura said. She felt guily this was happening to Naruto. It was her fault Naruto got hurt. The man she once knew a was a cold blooded killer.

"Don't feel guitly, Sakura. It's the bastard's fault, not yours. I was only protecting you like I'm supposed to," Naruto said. Sakura squinted her eyes.She worked so hard so that she wouldn't have to be protected anymore, but she let her guard down. Naruto had to protect her that very moment. When her eyes and those glowing red eyes met, she was in shock. As that wolf mask split in half and slid off her face and onto the ground, their eyes met, and he vanished without a trace.

_Uchiha..._

She rose from that furbished chair that faced the kitchen, and she placed Naruto's hand in her own.

"Ne, Naruto. There's no time to waste. Let's get going," she softly replied to Naruto's worried look. Those eyes appeared in her mind again.

_Uchiha Sasuke..._

The lightning flash again in that small livign room. Sakura saw a glimpse of a person in the corner of her eye. She quickly turned. No one was there. The glimpse had vanished the moent she turned. The light quickly left the room.

"S-Sakura-chan, what's wrong?" Naruto said, terrified something worse was happening. Sakura let go of Naruto's hand and walked over to the broken glass mask. The white paint made the attacker unabkle to see unless the mask was removed. Purple paint lined against the cheek and turned into purple swirl right on the cheek. The Konoha smybol the mask was split in half. Pink lining went along side on the farther part of the two eyes, and the half lips was once a bright red paint. The wolf nose was painted black, but was now split by the shattering mark of the Uchiha's sword. She picked up the 2 pieces of her mask and studied them for a moment.

"Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked. She woke out of her stare and looked to Naruto. Her eyes became blurry with the clear liquid in her eyes.

_Sasuke tried to kill me..._

"Sasuke-kun..." she whispered, sobbing to herself. Naruto's eyes looked disappointed. Sakura still remembered that man's name. Pain suddenly striked in Naruto's arm. A burning pain shot into the scrape. Naruto cried out at the sudden pain.

"NARUTO-KUN!" Sakura called out, rushing to his aid. Sakura didn't realize she used the suffix kun on Naruto's name. That was the first time she ever did that called eith a suffix. It could've been a mistake after saying Sasuke's name with the suffix. Was it really a mistake or a friendly getsure? She had no time to think about it. She draped an arm around Naruto's upper back. Naruto holded onto the scrape on his arm. His face was scrunched with pain. Sakura walked at a slow pace with Naruto. Sakura slid the 2 halves of her masks under her shirt so that it wouldn't get wet. She slowly slid on her muddy shoes and opened the door. She grabbed a jacket for Naruto and put it around him for while walking him to the Konoha hospital so he doesn't get freezing cold from the pouring rain. Sakura made sure the hood was on Naruto's head, and they slowly walked out the door without an umbrella. Thunder shook the sky again and lightnign brought light to the dark streets.

_Sakura... Who's side was Sasuke on?_

Sakura forgot about herself and didn't bring a jacket. She kept her body close to Naruto's for warmth. They slowly walked down the streets like an old married couple.

"Sakura-chan... You called me kun," the blond haired ANBU squad leader said, grinning proudly. Sakura took this in as a shock. She never realized it. She continued to slowly walk forward with Naruto, looking at the ground as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. Her eyes were bulged out, surprised at her actions before.

"I guess... I'm giving up on Sasuke a little, but you're still my friend you know. I want you and your fiance to get together no matter what," Sakura said, looking over to Naruto's engagement ring with hapiness for a split sercond. She then look at her own hand. Her hand was bare with some dirt in her fingernails. Naruto beamed with hapiness. The woman who had admired him for so long in the shadows had finally gathered enough courage to ask him out on a date her 4 years ago, and now the young couple was happily engaged. Naruto never knew that such a woman existed. A woman who had always cared for him in any way possible. Hyuuga Hinata, the Hyuugan heiress was engaged to marry the village kucklehead, Uzumaki Naruto. Of course, Hinata's father was against it, but Naruto and Hinata would marry each other even without her father's consent. Sakura was believing that there will never be a ring on finger.

Ino and Shikamaru were currently dating. Just like Asuma-sensei wished the day he died, for Ino to win in love, but that relationship is off and on. Shkamaru is questionging himself if he should pop the question to Ino. He already went to the jewelry store for a gorgeous diamond ring with Naruto when Naruto was looking for Hinata's engagement ring. Due to not having much money, Naruto bought her a gold band with a small, tiny diamond on it. Hinata cared nothing about the jewelry, but she cared for the symbol that the ring represented.

Neji and Tenten were already married. They married 2 months go. Word is that the 2 are acting like a normal newly wed couple that argue over every single thing. During an occasional girl hangout a couple days ago, Tenten squeeled with joy when she revealed she was 1 month pregnant. She was preparing to tell Neji that she was pregnant sooner or later.

Temari and Chouj have considered dating and are dating at the moment. The 2 started dating a blind date when Ino brought Temari and Shikamaru brought Chouji. The 2 have been getting along very wonderfully.

Shino seems to have met a nice girl who is a non ninja, but a very beautiful girl who lives up to her duties.

Kiba... The guy hangs out in the strip club...

Kankuro... Sakura had no care for him and igonred the possibility of Kankuro dating a sand girl or any girl. Sakura chuckled to herself when she imagined a puppet dating him.

And Gaara was betrothed to a young girl who happens to be a young ANBU Sqad Leader.

Lee somehow managed to find a girl, wihich made Sakura curious. Rumors spread that he's changed. He shaved off parts of his eyebrows, lost the green suit, and got a nice spiky haircut, but Sakura has yet to see that change, since she hasn't seen Lee for 2 weeks since she sent him off on an S-Class mission with his squad. It is possible that the girl is a member of his squad.

_Sasuke... He and me are left out..._

"Sakura-chan, the hospital is right there," the knucklehead said, looking towards the yellow, red, and green lights. Sakura ligthly grinned at Naruto. They made it just in time. Sakura noticed that he was clutching onto his wound even more.

"Let's get you inside, Naruto. I have to report this to Tsunade and ask her to make me a new mask," Sakura said, lightly chuckling from nervousness with a small sweatdrop on her forehead. The broken mask was still under her shirt. She made sure it didn't slip out. The rain continued to pour, and Sakura and Naruto were already soaking wet. Sakura was more soaked because she didn't have a jacket.

She slowly reached the hospital's doors while still holding Naruto up. A bunch of nurses were huddled together with clipboards. Hinata was one of them. She voluntairly works as a nurse when she is needed. She nodded as they discussed the patients. Those white eyes suddenly turned to the 2 shadowy figures outside the hospital door.

"Tuki-san, there are some people outside the door," Hinata said to the head nurse in that group. Tuki nodded.

"Victoria, please go open the door and lock it again. Don't want the wind to force it open and bring in rain again," Tuki said to the working nurse. Victoria nodded and walked over to the door and opened it. Thunder and lightning struck when it became open. It made Sakura and Naruto look like ghosts. When the lightngin disappearred, the hospital lgiths showed Sakura and Naruto's face.

"Sakura-sama! Naruto!" Victoria quickly said, bowing to Sakura. Hinata saw her fiance and quickly ran up to the 2.

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata exclaimed, noticing that Naruto was holding onto his arm.

"We were attacked, and Naruto got hurt. His wound is poisoned," Sakura explained to the 2 nurses. Hinata nodded. Naruto took support form Hianta and was carefully walked to room 5. Hinata stared at her fiance.

"Ne, Naruto-kun. What happened?" the loving and caring woman said.

"I'll tell you when we're alone," Naruto explained the Hyuugan leader. she nodded and looked back at Sakura Sakura was removing the 2 halves of the maask from under her shirt. Sakura stared at the two fragments. Hinata's eyes widened when she saw the ANBU Captain's own mask split in half. She knew it must've been something if Sakura's mask was split.

"Tuki-san," Sakura called for the head nurse.

"Yes, Sakura-sama?" Tuki-san replied with her hands clapsed together on the pelvic bone while looking at Sakura, showing respect for the head doctor and ANBU Captain.

"Where's Hokage-sama? I need to report the attack to her," Sakura asked the woman. A nurse who sakura did not know brought a towel and a blanket to the head doctor. The pink haired woman nodded to the nurse and took the towel and dried off her air and much of her as body as she could.

"Yes, she is in your office signing all her paperwork," Tuki said while Sakura dried herself off. Her pink hair was still drenched, but it suited that it won't give her a cold. Another nurse brought some new sweatpants and a large Tshirt. Sakura nodded and took the clothes. The 4 nurses in theat hallway bowed to her. She gave them another swift nod and turned on her heel.Her feet guided her towards the stairs. She walked up those tall 4 stories up to the private floor where her office and some other offices were. She noticed the light coming from her own office. She heard grumbling and mumbling of impatience and boredom. She knew it was Tsunade complaining about the paper work. The young Sakura fidgeted the mask in her hands. She was afraid what the Hokage was going to say. The ANBU captain had actually made a mistake. She kept the blanket and dry clothes close to her so that she can change into them soon when she gets the chance. She placed a hand on that cold golden doorknob. "Haruno Sakura, Head Doctor" was labeled on the door window. The label ran through her mind. She wasn't only a doctor. she was also the ANBU Captain. She turned the doorknob and slowly walked in while shutting the door behind her. Tsunade swiftly looked up from her paperwork to the girl who was once her student. Realization hit Tsunade. She pointed to the blue leather chair in front of the desk.

"I knew you would come, Sakura. I heard rumors before you even got here," Tsunade said, placing her head on her hands while her elbows rested on the mahogony desk.

"Naruto is getting treated right now," Sakura explained to Tsunade, moving towards the blue leather chair in front of her own desk. before sitting her bottom on the rather comfortable chair, she placed that borken wolf mask on the mahogony surface of her desk. Tsunade's eyes traveled towards the mask. Her eyes showed some shock that such a mask could be shattered.

"You are the best ANBU captain in the history of Konoha, but you let your guard down, didn't you?" Tsunade asked, making Sakura felt guilty. Sakura clenched the fabric of her wet sweatpants once again. Her face scrunched up from disappointment in ehrself. sakura had failed what she worked so hard to get to.

"My senses were not up that time. I was recently training the new ANBUs. I had used a lot of chakra beign fustrated by the students small lack of control. When me and the Squad Leader of Team 2, Uzumaki Naruto, we were chatting on how the students' progress was. Naruto suddenly sensed the huge amonunt of chakra that came towards us. He quickly ran in front of me and was hit by a sword that came down diagnolly in the air. The sword cut right through the mask that I was wearing on my face and also hit Naruto arm. I reacted quickly and took out a kunai. I was shocked when I saw his face, the s-class missing nin, Uchiha Sasuke. Both of us made eye contact for that brief moment. He disappeared the moment my mask hit the ground. The sword.. if it didn't kill me, then it would poison me, but since Naruto got hit by it, he got poisoned by the sword. I found the poison after going to my apartment to recollect what had happened," Sakura said, giving her full report. Tsunade was stunned when she heard Sasuke's name. Uchiha Sasuke had actually entered the town and even attacked one of the most powerful leaders in the village. The ANBU captain wasn't able to defend herself quickly enough.

"Don't be so disappointed in yourself. Everyone makes mistakes, even Ninja Leaders and Hokages. None of us are perfect Sakura, not even the best ANBU captain," Tsunade said, trying to make Sakura lose her guilt trip.

"I couldn't even sense a huge amount of chakra like Sasuke's," Sakura said, clenching her teeth. She looked up form her hands to Tsunade with strong eyes. "I will learn from my mistake!" the cherry blossom fiercly said. Tsunade was glad that Sakura accepted her mistake.

"Good, Sakura. I wouldn't want you to be upset over something like that. You're like a daughter to me. I want you to be happy and strong. Now... I'm sorry I must take your office while signing the paperwork. It was my office before I was promoted to the head of the hospital. You can go change in the private bathroom. You don't want a cold, now do you?" Tsunade said, noticing that Sakura was now shivering from the coldness of having wet clothes on when it is chilly ouside. Sakura nodded, rising from that comfortable chair. She turned on her heel and headed towards the door of the private bathroom. "Drink some hot chocolate, Sakura. Doctor's orders! And also... Relax!" Tsunade told her student as Sakura touched the handle of the door. Sakura grinned the same grin Naruto would always flash as she looked at The Hokage sitting in her own chair. Tsunade smiled that sakura was the same bright student as before. Sakura opened the private bathroom door and walked in, shutting it behind her. Sakura removed the damp shirt from her skin. It peeled off her skin like a sticker off a sitcker pad. She revealed several past scars even the one that she recieved from the atasuki member, Sasori. All these scars were from battles. One was particulary most visible. It was the horrible scar she recieved after fighting a peticular Atasuki member, the same man who brothered the man who attacked her today. The scar slashed across her back with burn marks on it. These scars were all memories to her. They reminded her how strong she got. she beat an atasuki member and also survived a fight from the great Itachi. Although it made her skin look ugly, the scars made her look like a war hero. She still had soft skin that surrounded all those scars. She removed the damp pants also after remvoign her soaked shes. They were no longer muddy. They were more soaked now due to the heavy rain. Her damp pants hit the floor and landed on top of the shirt, making it look crimson and black like bloodstains on black clothes. Sakura turned on the shower for hot steam in the air. It helped her relax as the steam touched her skin. She breathed in the warm air, not caring if she coudln't see the walls of the room. She took a big whiff of the steamy room. Sweat drooped down her forehead. She slowly pullled up the dry sweatpants the nurse gave her. She moved the soft fabric so that it would comfort her. Sakura wiped her sweating forhead wiht the back of her hand and made her way over tot he showerhead. She placed her hand on the large shower handle. The water slowly decreased as she turned it off. She slipped on the huge white TShirt which left complete comfort as she moved and stood. She slipped her blue ninja shoes that dry dirt stuck on the soles. The steam cleared up. The lightning struck again and lit up a small part of the room since the window was too small to see through. Sakura wrapped the extra towel in the bathrrokm on he rhair. She looked straight foward and saw somethign form the corner of her eye again. She looked towards the shadow.

"Sasuke-kun..."


	2. The Rooftop

Her breath was frozen. Those glowing red eyes conintued to stare at her.

_The bastard..._

Sakura clenched her fists. She wanted so much to punch him. He seemed to mouth something. Was it her name or something else? She recognized the lip movement to be her name. She questioned this. What was he trying to tell her? Before she could say something, those red eyes and him vanished like he was never there.

"Oh, Kami. I need some rest. My eyes are playing tricks on me," the young ANBU captain muttered to herself. She released her hair from the extra towel and dropped it to the floor. She wrapped the blanket around her that the nurses gave her. She touched that golden doorknob the led out of the head doctor's bathroom. She took a big whiff of the leftover steam and opened the door quickly. Tsunade look up at Sakura and briely nodded and went back to stack of papers on Sakura's desk. Sakura rubbed her eyes of what could've caused the illusion of Sasuke. Sakura conitnued to hug the warm blnaket to herself.

"Tsunade-sama, I'm going to go up on the roof," Sakura briefly said to tsunade.

"Keep dry, Sakura. You don't need a cold," Tsunade said, giving her helpful words of advice.

"Aa," Sakura said, walking out of her office. She let the blanket slide on the floor as she moved towards the stairs that led up another floor, up to the roof. Sghe carefully counted her steps. She remembered the fight on the roof that Sasuke and Naruto had so many years ago. She was so afraid back then. She didn't know what to do. She didn't know how to stop them. Kakashi had came in there nick of time. Maybe she, sasuke, and Naruto would be all be dead by the impact that the rasengan and chidori might've created. Kakashi saved them. Sakura felt so helpless in her preteens, but after a while, after she last saw Sasuke 4 years ago, she made a promise... to become stronger than Naruto and Sasuke and be able to protect them. She softly cried on the inside. No one wever saw her pain. she hated sasulke so much because of how much she loved him. She no longer would do anything for him. Her hands trailed up that rail.

_I despise you, Sasuke-kun..._

She heard the thunder outside. She knew about the pouring rain. The coldness and wetness can make her terribly ill if she's not careful. Sakura eyes softened when she saw that door. The door that led to the outside world, to the roof. She needed the fresh air. She needed some time alone to herself. Sakura never could get time to herself. All it ever was was ANBU this and ANBU that. Sakura was important to the ANBU ninjas who glady worked under her. She was always precise on how the mission should go and always wanted too make sure each of her ANBU were okay. She closed her eyes and smiled to her self. She had worked so hard to get here. She succeeded all by herself. She pressed her hand on the handle. She hear thew creaking of the door as she slowly turned it. Sakura opened nthe door to feel a huge force of wind and feels pouring rain coming in her direction. She quickly shielded herself with the blanket that was given to her. Sakura walked over to the bench with cement roof over it. She draped her blanket in the direction the wind was blowing. She sat on the cement bench. She watched as the flooding slowly poured into the drain pipe.

_Why do you haunt me?_

There was no inner Sakura. She died and only will be reserructed when it comes to someone who is no longer emotionless.

_**Sakura, Sakura, My dear Sakura, why have you locked me out? I've been so restless.**_

_You've got to be kidding me..._

Oh, wait... My bad... she decides to come back in the middle of Sakura's "newfound" emotions.

_**My dear Sakura, I've seen what's been going on. You have a restless mind. Sasu-kun has seemed to come back into your "peaceful" life.**_

_And it happened to bring you back to. Why am I cursed with fate of having you as my inner self?_

_**Don't know, but I'm rather glad to be here to join you as you ponder over your situation of Sasu-kun. It is not my fault that you became a target, Miss ANBU **_

_**Captain.**_

_Oh, just bug off._

The wind somehow stopped, which caught Sakura's attention. A thunderbolt clashed with the water tower on the hospital roof.

"Clever, Sasu..." Sakura bitterly said. She had a kunai out and near her left shoulder which stopped the blade of another. "But not clever enough, Sasu. You're dealing with the ANBU captain," she softly spoke, smirking at Sasuke's foolishness.

"Aa, Haruno-san," Sasuke told her in a mocking tone.

"Why the formalities, Uchiha?" Sakura mocked, disappearing and doing the same Sasuke had tried to do. Sasuke also blocked Sakura's blade.

"i just feel like it since you are the 3rd most powerful in the village, right behind the Advisors and the Hokage," Sasuke replied to her question. Sakura snickered. She placed her foot on Sasuke's back and kicked him forward. He tripped over the cement bench and landed face first on the floor of the roof.

"Of course I am. You've never seen me fight," Sakura replied with egoness. Sasuke pressed his fists into the roof and flipped foward. He turned to Sakura to see she has disappeared again.

"Damn it," Sasuke muttered to himself in despisement. He turned on his sharingan, trying to see through the thick rain. Sakura appeared right in front of him, swinging her leg under him. He fell backwards. Sasuke had doubted that Sakura was as strong as Orochimaru said she was. Not even Sasuke's sharingan could read her movements.

Sasuke arched his back and pushed down his hands near the top of his head. He swiftly jumped up and threw several shuriken at Sakura. Sakura disappeared the moment the shuriken were thrown. Sasuke couldn't get a hit at her. Sakura appeared on Sasuke's side and threw her kunais at Sasuke. Sasuke saw this move a split second before the blades impact with him. He dropped to the floor, managing to miss all but 1. The 1 kunai was now stabbing the upper right arm. He groaned at the pain. He ripped the kunai out of his arm and threw it back at Sakura. sakura looped her finger threw the ring at the end of her kunai. She flipped it and threw it back at Sasuke.

"Poor Sasuke-kun. Can't even fight the ANBU captain who fought Sasu's own brother," Sakura mocked smirking evilly. Sasuke blocked the kunai with his own. His eyes were sligthly in shock at hearing Sakura had battled with his brother. 5 sakura clones surrounded Sasuke.

"You're holding back, aren't you?" Sasuke dumbfoundly asked. All 5 smirked. He threw 5 of his kunais and all 5 hit the clones.

"Of course..." Sakura's voice echoed. Her evil chuckle slipped her lips. Out of nowhere, she came and stabbed Sasuke in his right shoulder. His right arm collapsed. She struck a vital nerve. Sasuke cried out in pain.

Sasuke was so confused. Orochimaru said that the strongest ANBU captain was the current one, but Orochimaru had said it was a he, not she, not Sakura.

"Sakura, when did you become ANBU captain?" Sasuek asked, clenching his fists and looking twoards the ground.

"Hm, I believe it was 2 year ago," Sakura said, in thought. Sasuke looked up. Sakura was right in front of him,a nd she wasn't focusing. Sasuke took this chance and lunged at the girl. sakura disappeared.

Orochimaru had made a mistake. The current captain couldn't be the strongest. Last time he saw her, she was too weak and could easily be brought down.

"Don't let your guard down," Sakura said, stabbing the man in his lower back. Sasuke groaned and arched his back. His eyes slowly course d out of his eye sockets at the pain. A stream of blood slowly trickled from the corner of his mouth. Before Sasuke could take a breath, blood rose up his through and bursted up with a bubble of air that shooken out by the kunai in his back. The splattered blood smeared onto the wet ground.

"How can a weakling like you change like this?" Sasuke asked, kneeling down on the ground as if he had been defeated.

"You left me, baka," Sakura siad, standing behind him, placing her cold hands on his shoulders. Hwe cringed at the firm grip. In a flash, Sasuke took that chance. He brought a kunai up to her and stabbed her in the stomach. Blood trickled down Sakura's mouth.

"You lost," Sakura said, chuckling once again. A loud poof came from the girl behind him. A wooden log appeared. On it... was a note, strucken by his own kunai.

'You waste too much time to realize that you've been fighting a clone. Sasu-kun,' the note said. It had been a clone this whole time. The real Sakura wasn't even harmed.

"DAMN IT!" the sharingan boy yelled out to the sky. Lightning struck at the moment. His frown turned into a smirk. "That's how-- how I shall defeat her," he said in astonishment. He had a plan... to capture the ANBU captain.

**With Sakura**

"Little baka," Sakura said, planting her feet on the window to her own office. Tsunade took out a kunai and rose up. She stopped when she found that it wasn't an intruder, it was Sakura.

"Sakura, don't sneak up on me like that! I could've killed you right then and there," Tsunade said, holding onto her heart to bring back to normal breathing.

"Yeah right. I would've blocked you," Sakura said, she jumped inside the room from the window still.

"You think too highly of yourself., so should I ask why came through the window instead of the door?" Tsunade said, rubbing her chin in confusement. Sakura sighed and wrapped her strings into a ball so that she can easily acess them without having them tangled. Tsunade stopped thinking when she saw the strings.

"Chakra strings are useful. It makes it much easier for the clone also," sakura said briefly, slipping the strings into one of the pockets in her ninja pack. Tsunade twitched.

"You were fighting... with whom?" Tsunade asked, stunned and yet not so surprised after the recent attack on Sakura.

"Let's just say it was Sasu," Sakura said, drenching her hair, letting water drop onto the carpet of her office.

"ON THE ROOF?! We have to go after him and capture him!" tsunade said. Sakura raised a hand up to sign she wanted Tsunade to freeze.

"Tsunade, he';s probaly gone by now. The good thing is, he's wounded. The bad thing, my clone only got stabbed once and then I released the jutsu, but whatever, I haven't the time for a fight with Sasuke. I've got mission reports to work on," Sakura said, putting her hair up in a ponytail. Sakura took out lead pencil and sighed.

"Ah, Sakura, take a break. You can come back to the ANBU office tomorrow. You need some rest after a fight. I'll have Sai and Neji watch over you tonight. Is that clear?" Tsunade bluntly stated. Sakura twitched.

"You seem to treat me like a child," Sakura said, looking back with a burning look in her eyes. Tsunade had a chill run up her spine.

_Wait a minute, why am I listening to an inferior? _Tsunade thought to herself.

"I'm not your inferior, I'm only inferior by .1. I'm even your heiress to be the next Hokage, and Naruto is after me," Sakura stated, hoping to get Tsunade's attentipon. She did get Tsunade's attention and yet it was the bad kind.

"I don't care you're only inferior by .1! You will ahev bodyguards tonight! I want you to be safe and alive in the monring. Who knows if Sasuke is just holding back!" Tsunade screamed.

"If Sasuke was holding back, then he could kill me, but he's not. He's trying his hardest and yet he's failing! He knew that using his chidori would be his doom!" Sakura yelled, punching her fist into her desk, breaking it in half.

"I will strip you of your rank if you do not obey my orders!" Tsunade threatened, her face persuading Sakura to think twice about back talking to Tsunade.

"Fine! I'll take the stupid bodyguards!" Sakura screamed. Sakura sat in the guest chair and crossed her arms, pouting at her defeat. Tsunade was the only one able to defeat Sakura at this moment.

"Shizune!" Tsunade called. The black haired woman quickly ran in.

"yes, Tsunade-sama?" the apprentice asked with obedience in her voice.

"Call Neji and Sai. I would like them to be Sakura's bodyguards for tonight," Tsunade ordered. shizune nodded, and Sakura groaned, whining over the fact that she had to be protected. Sakura looked up when Tsunade sat back down in Sakura's desk chair.

"Tsunade, I know something else is on your mind," Sakura said, pointing out that tsunade was in deep thought. tsunade stared at Sakura.

_How did she know? _Tsunade thought, staring at the heiress.

"I'll be resigning soon from my Hokage position," Tsunade said, bringing up a pair. Her stamp slammed into it and inked an approved signature on it. she moved to abnother paper. Sakura's fingers touched her lips. This was quite confusing to Sakura.

"But... You've only been Hokage for 6 years. You really think you're getting old, don't you? And your only... what? 56 years old?" Sakura pointed out, since the 3rd Hokage was around 70 years old when he died, and yet he was still hokage.

"Thanks for pointing out my age," Tsunade, briefly stated, annoyed at Sakura's words. "I'm quitting due to I'm no longer suited for the Hokage business. I wwant to go into retirement and start traveling again. I can trust you to look over the village and missions. You are the strongest ANBU captain we've ever had. And I am making you the one who wil fill the position of Hokage after me. So Saklura, do you accept becoming the 6th Hokage? I'll continue to be 5th Hokage until I finally retire, but I'll at least have someone to help me rule, so that this old lady can get some much needed rest," Tsunade said, stamping another paper. Sakura thought about this. She was appointed as the heiress to the Hokager position. She would be the youngest hokage in the History of Konohagure, besides the 3rd of course. "Take as long as you need Sakura until you are ready to take the position of 6th Hokage," Tsunade explained, going to another paper, grabbing another stamp and stamping it unapproved. Their was soon a knock on the office door.

"Come in," the 5th Hokage and the 6th Hokage-to-be called. The door knob turned. A man who looked a bit like Sasuke and the white-eyed man walked in.

"Neji, Sai, I have called you for a mission for the night. I would like you to protect the 6th Hokage while she is at home resting up for ANBU business tomorrow," Tsunade briefed them. Sakura had not yet lived up to the position.

"6th Hokage? We have one?" Neji asked, looking with confusement at Tsunade. Sai had understood what the old hag meant. He looked over to Sakura and briefly nodded.

"Well, Sakura has the title, but she is not yet living up to the position," Tsunade explained to Neji since he was half-asleep.

"oh, yeah," neji said.

_Is Neji drunk? _Sakura thought with a raised eyebrown at the Hyuugan. She knew that Neji was very intelligent any time, except... for when he is drunk. Sakura smell the stench of psilt Sake on Neji.

"Sasuke is in the area, so I think it will be suitable if you protect our little Hokage for the night until the morning where she will be safe in ANBU headquarters. I would've had Naruto do it, but he's currently recovering from poison. Well, yyou have your mission, now move out!" Tsunade excalimed. The 3 ninja nodded, disappearing. Tsunade believed this would be a long night.

**With Sasuke**

Sasuke stood there, his hands covered in blood. It was not his own. It was a common stranger's. Sasuke had stooped down so low become a home invader.

The house was now reeking the stench of death. Sasuke dragged the dead body to the basement and threw it down there. He had no care for whoever the person was. He just wanted some shelter for the night while he is in Konoha. If he tried a ninja's house, he would be captured in his state of being.

Sasuke remebered the jutsu Kabuto had taught him ncase of situation like these. He focused chakra in his hands and healed his back wound first. Kabuto had taught a simple medic jutsu that could help Sasuke out when he was injured. It wouldn't heal the wound completely, but it woud heal it enough to keep it from being life threatening.

"Stupid Sakura. Stupid Orochimaru. You said it was a he, damin it! Not a she! Sakura had come this far. Far enough to be able not to get a single scratch on her person. damn Orochimaru, he is such an idiot and needs to get an update on the gendfer of the ANBU captain. But now, I believe I can use this ANBU captain for something other than just becoming stronger I can help achieve one of my goals," Sasuke told to himself. He looked back to the scene with Orchimaru and whern he first attacked the supposed "male" ANBU captain.


	3. Go Fish and Old Men

Thank you for all the reviews that I have recieved!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but I do own Itachi! Okay, so maybe I don't, but I can dream can't I.

* * *

(Flashback)

_"Sasuke-kun!" the creepy man called out. Sasuke's shoulders slumped. He hated so much at being called by that white skinned freak. He wondered sometimes why he decided to join the sound ninjas for power. He hesitantly walked towards Orochimaru's main room._

_"Hai, Orochimaru-sama?"Sasuke said, his arms hanging freely on his sides. Orochimaru looked like he was a bit mad and confused at something._

_"One of my best ninjas was sent out onto a mission. He was assigned a partner who would follow behind and keep watch over him. That partner was 15 feet away when he found the guy fighting a Konoha ninja. This ninja was able to kill my ninja and struck him in the heart with a beautifully crafted katana. I believe that the partner can explain it to you," Orochimaru explained, signaling for a man in the shadows to come forward._

_"Sasuke-sama, my name is Kouran Abason," the man said, bowing to the teenager in front of him._

_"I do not need your name. I only need the information that you are supposed to speak of," Sasuke commanded, his hand up to stop the Sound ninja._

_"My partner was strong, maybe even stronger than you, but not as Orochimaru-sama. He was sent on the mission to assinate the 6th Hokage-to-be. This mission was of the upmost importance, and Orochimaru did not want to reveal his cover, so he was sent out since his power was greater than most ninjas at this village of Sound. He was an hour away from Konoha and ran into a bunch of ANBUs. He eliminated them. Some were left knocked out, and others were dead. He had no care for the well being of those ninjas. He continued on his venture towards the village. I passed by ignoring the ninjas that were left scattered on the ground. I noticed he had stopped. In front of him was the ANBU commander of Konoha. This __man__ was said to have been stronger than the Hokages before __him__. This __man__ had a ponytail with pink hair. It may be strange for a man to have pink, but rumors were saying that this Commander was indeed a man. The Commander unsheathed his katana and pointed directly at my partner. His voice was disguised._

_"'You shall not defeat me,' the man had said. My partner grinned and scoffed at the ANBU's threat. Before my partner knew it, the Commander disappeared in a flash and destroyed my partner. The man did not sense me, so I was safe for that moment._

_"'6th Hokage, you are too reckless! Going out there like that. This man was supposed to assinate you, but at least you're safe,' a woman with a large chest said to the commander. the man said something to the woman that I could not understand. The commander was indeed the 6th Hokage-to-be. With a blink of an eye, the 2 were gone along with my partner's corpse," Abason explained, stopping his explanation._

_"So this has something to do with an ANBU commander?" Sasuke asked his sensei._

_"Not just an ANBU commander, THE ANBU commander. This man is the commander of all ANBU," Orochimaru replied, throwing a picture of the commander's mask to Sasuke._

_"So what am i doing here? Is this another boring mission?" Sasuke bluntly asked, bored to death._

_"This is not just a mission. It is a mission to prove that you have gotten stronger, strong enough to kill a Hokage. I would like you to travel to the village and do not be found! Assinate him when you get the slightest change. AND DO NOT HESITATE!" Orochimaru explained so that Sasuke would get serious. Kabuto brought in a pack for Sasuke's needs for this trip. _

_"This will be easy!" Sasuke exclaimed, disappearing in black smoke._

(Flashback End)

Sasuke shook his head at the memory on the briefing of his mission 2 weeks ago. Those idiots made a mistake on this Pink haired ANBU. This Commander was not a male! It was female. Not just a female, but the girl he thought to be the weakest in the village, Haruno Sakura. Sakura had indeed improved her skills and even managed not to involve herself in any fights. She kept herself out of fights by just using clones. But when she went against the assinator, it was not a clone. It was the real her. She just flat out killed him right there. She could easily do that to Sasuke if she didn't hold back. He bet she could even use that clone and kill him in a second. She was only playing with him. The way she said his name, it wasn't just Sasuke-kun, it was Sasu-kun as if she laughed at the weakness of her former teammate.

Sasuke had thrown the body of the woman who lived in the house into a basement. He ate the food he found in the cabinet. This woman looked like she had no others living here but herself.

Sasuke pondered over how he will capture the lovely cherry blossom.He no longer wanted to kill her but to use her. Sasuke had found some sake and slowly drank it, staring at the blank wall with some blood smeared on it.

**With Sakura**

"You got any 3's?" Pinky asked, looking at her own cards. She had a bottle of empty sake laying next to her left leg while she sat criss-cross-apple-sauce style.

"Go fish," Whity (Why-tee) said, signaling toward the pile in the center of them. She groaned. She reached over and placed it in her hand.

"Evil stinking Neji," Sakura said, glaring at her cards. Whity reached for his own sake bottle and gulped it down.

"Got any 10's?" he slurred out, staring at her twitching eyes.

"YOU'RE CHEATING, MR. WHITE-EYED HYUUGA!" she yelled, her face in Neji's personal space, their lips so close you would think the two were kissing. Neji had sweat trickling down his forehead. Sakura could see through Neji's tricks. Sai rolled his eyes at the 2 drunken ninjas. She grabbed her sake bottle and hit Neji upon the head.

"What the hell?!" Neji squeeled, anime tears falling as he rubbed the bump on his head.

"That's for trying to cheat the ANBU commander with your Byuukagan," she said, crossing her arms. Sakura stomach then growled and then those evil eyes went twitching. Sakura stood up from her sitting position. "Want anything, Sai?" Sakura sked, heading towardsa her kitchen.

"I want ramen!" Neji outbursted. You would never see the cold hearted Neji so emotional, but he's drunk, so leave him alone. And a shoe had just smacked Neji right in the face. That's got to hurt.

"You don't deserve anything, Mr. Cheating-His-Commander-with-Kekkai-Genkai," Sakura glared. Neji anime cried. Sai looked back and forth and shook his head.

"Nothing for me, Sakura-san," Sai replied to Sakura's 1st question. Sakura shrugged. Sakura came back with a huge bag of chips which was taller than Neji, and he just happen to be the tallest in this room.

"My prayers have been answered!" Neji exclaimed, glomping the huge bag. He was kissing the bag. And this man happens to be married, and yet he wants to marry a large bag of chips? You think a married man with a pregnant wife would be more mature.

Sakura's eye twitched. "GET OFF MY BAG!" she screamed, jumping on Neji and pulling the braid in his hair. Neji screamed like a little girl. ANBUs may seem mature, but not when they're just hanging out and there is no mission. Well, on this occasion there is a mission, but 2 of the 3 are drunk. The only mature one is Sai, even though he had been drinking sake little by little.

"Sakura, who's hunting you?" Sai questioned. Sakura stopped and winced. He just had to bring it up. Sakura looked at the clock. It was 5 AM, and they yet to have rest.

"Sasu-kun..." she whispered, her eyes towards the ground. Sai rubbed his chin. He closed his eyes for a second. A loud crash was heard, and he swiftly opened his eyes.

"YOU BROKE MY LAMP!" Sakura exclaimed, pulling on Neji's ponytail. Neji just took the chance to go after the chip bag and had it fall backwards right into one of her lamps. Sakura, being the mature commander, took her right index finger and sucked on it. The finger went right into Neji's right ear while she sat on his back, probaly crushing all the chips under them.

"Wet loogie!" Neji squealed like a little girl, squirming under Sakura. Sai wondered why TenTen married the little child. Sakura got off of Neji while, pulling on his ponytail, so he'd get off her precious chips. She instantly hugged the bag.

"My chippys!" the drunken woman screamed. She took out her kunai and sliced a hole right through the middle, from top to bottom. Instantly, chips spilled all over Sakura's wooden floor. Sai was kind of surprised that she just spilled all over the floor. As long as she doesn't--

And Sai's mind was read exactly...

She went swimming in the pool of chips. There was a faint sign of drooling on the corner of Neji's lips. He silently tip-toed over to the pool of chips. He quickly reached for one, but a hand grabbed his wrist.

"No touchy, my chippys!" Sakura suealed, throwing him at the wall all the way on the other side of the room. The girl's mouth was wide open and ate it all before Neji was an inch away from the pool. Neji anime cried. Sakura layed on the ground with her hands patting her stomach. "Yummy!" she squealed. Sai looked to her rising chest that slowly lowered as she breathed. Her eyes closed as sleep over came her One thing was for sure, she will have 1 big hangover after drinking 13 Sake bottles.

Sai sighed and grabbed a blanket off the couch. He gently layed it over her. She looked so innocent and sweet when she was sleeping.

"Aw, just like a baby!" Neji said, all googly eyed. Sai took off the shoe that Sakura had yet to take off and threw it at Neji's forehead. For some reason, it knocked the poor guy out. Sai scratched his head when Neji fell backwards. "Nighty-night," Neji remarked, going straight to sleep with a little bit of snoring.

Sai sighed and plopped himself on Sakura's lumpy couch. There was no way he could get sleep. He stared out the window. The sun was starting to rise. He knew that sleep would be impossible. He pulled out a small pocket watch and observed it.

_5:46 AM_, Sai thought to himself. Soon, the 3 would have to march up to the Hokage Tower to reach Sakura's ANBU office. Then Neji and Sai would be allowed to roam off to wherever since the mission would be over. Sakura always had 2 chunnin outside her door along with 2 inside her office. Sai didn't want to leave the cherry blossom girl after this mission. He wanted to stay around for her a bit longer to protect her, but the black haired boy knew the Hokage wouldn't allow it. Neither the Godaime or soon-to-be Rokudaime would allow it. Both would wave him off and tell him to go enjoy his break. Sai watched Sakura's rising chest as she breathed out her snores. He loved to watch the cute baby face she made when she was asleep.

Sai realized there would be two irritated people very soon. He immediately hopped off the lumpy couch and went into the small kitchen.

_Now where would she keep it?_ Sai asked himself, while fgently stroking his chin with his fingers. His eyes lurked through the kitchen. He opened cabinet door after cabinet door. Finally he found a medicine cabinet. His eyes scanned through the labels. The deep black eyes stopped on one particular label.

"Ah ha!" he whispered to himself excitedly. He reached up and pulled down the medicine bottle. The medicine was for hangovers. Tsunade had rubbed off on Sakura with drinking.

_I wonder if drinking runs among the hokages,_ Sai asked himself while popping the bottle open.

_5_

_4_

_3_

_2_

_1_

A pounding on the door was heard. Tsunade had created an alarm clock for the Rokudaime that would pound on her door at 6 o' clock in the morning telling her to get her ass up.

Sakura jumped with a kunai in her hand.

"Monkeys are attacking!" she exclaimed, while looking around. The pounding stopped when the woman's voice was heard.

Sai peered out the kitchen window and watched the Chunnin walking down the stairs, shaking his head and seemed to be muttering things about how the Rokudaime couldn't get up by herself.

_Poor Guy, having to get up early in the morning just to be someone's alarm clock,_ Sai brought up in his mind.

Sakura stretched her arms and yawned as quietly as she could. She stared down at the Hyuuga who was sucking his thumb while sleeping on the floor. She was not amused. She felt like entertaining herself and decided to play a trick on poor Neji. Sai watched the girl's movements. Sai immediately looked away with disgust when Sakura used her bare foot to penetrate Neji in the butt crack. There was a sudden girlish scream. Sakura removed her foot and went over to the kitchen.

Sai knew what she was looking for and gave her 2 pills and a glass of water.

"Thank you, uh, Sai?" Sakura replied, taking the pills with one swallow and gulping down the glass of water. Neji glared at Sai and Sakura with pain and agony. "Poor guy. He can ask his wife if she has anything for his hangover," Sakura told her squad member. Sai, Neji, and Naruto were all members of Team 1 while captaining their own squads. Sakura commanded Team 1, and they commanded their own squads.

Team 1 was Sakura's own personal team for whenever the missions were very important and serious. She hardly left on missions, but whenever she did, it required her team to go with her. Team 1 was considered as the most powerful squad and would recieve the most important missions.

Team 2 was Naruto's team. Team 2 would recieve the missions that did not require Team 1 for such a mission. Team 2 was usually the team that would be arround the Hokage during something like the chunnin exams or any other meeting between other countries for the Hokage's protection.

Team 3 was Sai's team. Team 3 would recieve what did not require the above 2 Teams. They too helped protect important persons whenever their was a meet between 2 countries.

Team 4 was Neji's team. Team 5 was Lee's, and so on.

Sakura studied the captain's movement as he planted his feet on Sakura's wooden floor.

"I feel like I got hit by a shoe and got a punch from Tsunade," Neji squealed, while rubbing his head to soothe the muscles from his pulsing head.

"I'm sure TenTen would like you to get home. You don't want her to have any mood swings about you staying out late and getting drunk again," Sakura told the Hyuuga, pushing him out the door and down the stairs. Hopefully, he made it down the stairs without rolling down.

"What do you mean mood swings?" the expecting father piped up, not knowing what Sakura meant by that, but Sakura had already shut the door on him.

"You'd think he'd be smart enough to realize that his wife is pregnant by now," Sakura remarked to her 2nd Captain. Sai nodded and popped a grape in his mouth. "I'm going to go take a shower and change. You're awfully quiet," Sakura muttered after announcing her morning chore.

"Just thinking. Tsunade would still like it if I escort you to the Hokage building," Sai pointed out. Sakura sighed in annoyance. She hated be protected. Sai noticed her irritated eyes. "I'm just saying what she told us. Don't know if it was wise send out one of your bodyguards," Sai told the ANBU commander like she did not know anything. Sakura glared.

"Whatever. I'm going to go take my shower, now, thank you very much," she replied in annoyance. Her bathroom door opened and closed in a fast pace. Sai stared at the door and shook his head at his Commander's mood swings.

"She must be pmsing," Sai muttered to himself.

"I AM NOT!" Sakura screamed over her the sound of rushing water. Sai rolled his eyes and looked through the refridgerator. It was almost empty besides 4 eggs and orange juice.

"Who does her grocery shopping?" he whispered to himself pulling out the egg packaging. Sai opened more cabinets and pulled out a pan to cook on.

_With Sakura_

Sakura grumbled to herself about stupid Sai and his stupid guy brains. Her hangover was disappearring quickly because of the hangover remedy. She inhaled the hot steam and allowed her pores to clear up. She sat in the bathtup and hugged her legs.

_Well, the day will be normal,_ Sakura thoguth to her herself.

_**When is being the Commander ever normal? And people are calling you Rokudaime more often,**_ Inner sakura replied, grinning at the Rokudaime part.

_But I mean as in no teaching or such to rookies or running into certain people with the name Uchiha,_ Sakura remarked.

_**I wouldn't be so sure about that. He could pop up anytime. Oh well, we'll be in instant protection with those 4 bodyguards in your ANBU office,**_ Inner Sakura told her outer self.

_Don't make me worry more,_ Sakura exclaimed in her head. Inner Sakura shrugged.

_**Well I am you, so that just means you're worrying yourself. Do I smell something?**_ Inner Sakrua asked. Outer Sakura sniffed the air.

_I believe Sai is cooking eggs,_ Sakura replied. Sakura stopped the running water and stood on her balanced feet. She wrapped a towel around her private body parts and walked outside the bathroom.

_**Let's see if the eggs look good,**_ Inner Sakura commanded the woman. Sakrua rolled her eyes and stood by Sai's side suddenly out of nowhere. Sai jumped at Sakura's appearing next to him. He eyed her and briefly looked her up and down.

"You do realize you're just in a towel, right?" Sai pointed out to his commander.

"I know. I just wanted to check what you're cooking. And could you possibly go grocery shopping for me?" Sakura asked the artist.

The boy shrugged.

"And that's an order," she replied with a smirk. Sai's head sunk down with annoyance. He was supposed to protect her. Not do her grocery shopping. What's next? Doing her laundry? "And could you go see if Godaime Hokage finished my mask?" Sakura asked the questioning boy. Sai tried to resist twitching his eye. It may be her mask, but he can put it in the laundry catergory somewhat.

"Do you read my mind?" Sai asked out of the blue while stirring the eggs. Sakura grinned with mischievousness.

"Maybe I do. Maybe I don't," Sakura replied, walking over to her bedroom door. She disappeared into the door once again. Sakura skimmed through the dark airmoire for her more feminine ANBU suit, unlike what she wore before that was a male ANBU suit. Her white vest hugged her curves more, and her ANBU tattoo was clear as day. The black turtleneck with no sleeves that fit comfortably under. She work skin tight black short and a skirt like bottom that was like the skirt she wore when she was 15. She slipped on a pair of knee high black boots. and wore black gloves that was a bit above her elbow with her finger part of the gloves are cut so that her fingers are visible. She stuffed a couple weapons into her vest pocket and skirt pockets.

Sakura skimmed through the 1st drawer and looked for the mask that she would feel like wearing since her other one is being repaired. She pulled out an old version of her wolf mask that had only had 2 red lines on each cheek and a black nose.

"Ah, not my style, but I can't do anything about it right now," Sakura muttered to herself. She put the mask on top of her head and walked out of her bedroom.

The woman's emerald eyes travelled over to the familiar black eyes. He was sitting at the kitchen table with two glasses of orange juice and 2 plates of freshly cooked eggs.

"You need to eat. You have a long day of reports," Sai said, calling over the maiden in ANBU attire. Sakura agreed without defiance. Sai was always caring for her, but still made jokes by calling her Miss Ugly and such. But he matured more and stopped making such insults all the time. He showed a lot more respect now that she was his superior. Sakura sat down at the table and swallowed the whole plate in one bite. Sai twitched and stared.

"You're almost Rokudaime, but yet you don't know any manners," Sai admitted, getting an animal-like growl from Sakura. Sai finished up his plate and started to drink the orange juice, but noiced that Sakura let out a loud burp after gulping the juice quickly. He started to sweatdrop.

"We should get going. I've got work to do, and I want to get done by 2:00," Sakura ordered the 2nd Captain. Sai nodded. Sakura pulled out her white cloak that showed she was no ordinary ANBU. Sai didn't put on a cloak. He didn't have his ANBU suit on, since he was out drinking with Neji right when they called him onto this mission.

Sakura pulled down the mask onto her face and nodded to the undressed ANBU. Sai opened the door, while surveying the livign room once last time before shutting the door behind him after Sakura walked out. Some villagers who were awake and walking on the streets, looking over to the woman in the white cloak and stared in awe.

Sakura ignore the looks she recieved from passerbys. Sai's eyes swooped around the street for any possible danger.

"Relax, Sai," she told the bodyguard, knowing his cautiousness. She accidentally ran into an old man. "Ah! Sorry!" she apoligized to the short, old man. The man rested against his cane. He looked up to the woman in the cloak before.

"Excuse me, miss? Where is the Hokage tower?" the old man wearily asked, flicking small glasses up, trying to catch a view of the cloaked woman's face, but only to see her mask. Sakura looked down at the short old man. Her eyes scanned his image. His cane had the Sand symbol on it. She questioned it and assumed he must've been from the sand village.

"Straight down the road," Sakura answered, passing by the man. The old man stared at her as she walked down the road to the tower hat stood over Konoha.

'_Strange ANBU,_' the old man thought to himself, clicking his shoes as he turned on his heel to go in the same direction. He pressed his cane into the ground and pushed himself to walk.

Sai looked behind his back and saw the old man following.

"Ignore him. He probaly will just need a genin team for escorting to somewhere, most likely," she explained to her inferior. Sai nodded and walked by Sakura's side.

Sakura thought back to the old days when Team 7 was escorting the Bridge Builder to the Wave Country. They weren't supposed to be on a mission like that, but they succeeded in completing it.

Sai pulled Sakura from her thoughts when they reached the Hokage Building. A chunnin guard opened the door for the Commander while bowing also. Sakura nodded to the chunnin in acknowledgement.

"You may go now, Sai. You can write your report at home," she ordered her old friend. Sai bowed since he had to his manners when in the Hokage Tower.

"Hai, Sakura-sama," Sai replied, knowing that formalities were something the Godaime Hokage wanted in front of the higher-ups, which were Sakura, Naruto, Tsunade, and so on. Sakura waved her hand in gesture signalign that he could leave now. Sai disappeared with a poof like Kakashi used to do.

Now, that Sai was gone she was near her office, she could take off her cloak since the security was more tight here in the Hokage Tower. Sakura removed her hood and cloak and handed it to one of the chunnin that guarded a door that lead to the outside. He nodded and walked off with her cloak, and he would put it in a place where she could grab it later. Sakura walked with grace and did not choose to slack off when her duty as Commander was needed.

"Time to sign and file reports," the kunouchi sighed out in a bit of annoyance. She liked being commander, but she did not like having to file all these reports. Although some assitant chunnin would help her carry them to the filing room, her hand would still ache from all the pen work she would have to do. The same old man she had bumped into before had somehow appeared in the building. Sakura tried to ignore the scrawny old man, but his groans about not finding the mission room irked her a bit. She grabbed a genin that had passed by by the back of shirt.

"Ah, Sakura-sama! How can I help you?" the genin asked with a wide grin, eager to help out whenever Sakura needed a task done.

"Help, the old man find the mission room. It seems he is a bit lost," Sakura assigned to the happy genin.

"Sure thing, Sakura-sama! Anything for the future Hokage!" the genin exclaimed, rushing down the hall way to take the old man to the mission room to request whatever it was he needed done.

Sakura groaned and rubbed her forehead. She opened the doors to her office while the chunnin guarding both sides bowed. She noticed that there were 4 larges stacks of papers and files on her desk.

"This is going to be a long day!" she whined, pulling out her signature stamp. She yawned and pulled down the first paper she saw on her desk.

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Review and fave, please? Thank you! 


	4. The Hooded Figure

**Disclaimer: I own nothing! Except for the old man and a bunch of other characters like Itachi and also the plot. –grins-**

**Itachi: You don't own me…**

**K023: Fine…**

_The Blossom_

_Chapter 4_

"Sakura-dono," a young genin asked, peering his head into the door. The chunnin took a quick glance at him and went back to looking at the wall.

The bubble-gum haired woman looked from 72nd paper she was signing. Her emerald eyes focused on the young gennin. He was the same boy she had asked to escort the old man to the mission room.

"Hai?" the ANBU commander asked. Her mask rested next to her fingers. She was still waiting for Sai to bring her real mask.

The genin opened the door fully and walked up to her desk. He held a mission paper in his hand.

"Hokage-sama asked me to bring this to you. She said it was important and required you," the genin explained. Sakura took the paper and overlooked it. She nodded briefly and shooed the genin off.

"Souta-san, Arman-san, can you please take my papers that I have signed off to the filing room," Sakura asked, getting up from her seat. She put on the mask, covering her face.

"Hai, Sakura-dono," the chunnin replied, bowing and grabbing the papers off her desk. They hated this work and didn't understand why she didn't do it.

Sakura disappeared from her office with a poof. She landed right in the mission room. A few genin stared at her, amazed that she came from out of no where.

"An escort mission? Why not send Squad 4?" Sakura asked her superior. Tsunade started at the commander with annoyance.

"Read the paper," Tsunade explained. Sakura briefly looked over the paper. The old man she had seen was named Ichita Idumo. He is of the sand village. He knows a jutsu that can only be performed by him. Has missing-nin and ninja from other villages after him. Need to be escorted by ANBU.

"A jutsu? Over a jutsu?" Sakura questioned, annoyed by the paper in front of her.

The genin in the room stared at the woman who adorned and ANBU mask and tattoo. They admired her rank.

"Yes, the jutsu is too powerful, and the sand village does not want it to get into the wrong hands. It requires squad 1 because I know that you guys could easily protect the man from those who follow him," Tsunade explained, not giving information out.

"Very well. What time?" Sakura asked, rolling up the scroll.

"Six o'clock tonight," the large breasted woman replied, flicking her finger to show that Sakura must leave now and get prepared for the mission.

"Hey, hey, lady! Can I go with you?" a young genin asked, tugging on Sakura's skirt.

Sakura shook her head and disappeared with a poof once again. The old man had been watching the whole time and decided to walk around the village.

* * *

"Neji, a mission for us," Sakura said, signaling the man to get ready.

"Hai," Neji nodded, looking at the scroll briefly. He still had a hangover. TenTen frowned at the thought of her husband leaving.

"Be safe, Neji-kun!" TenTen exclaimed, wrapping her arms around Neji from behind.

"We leave at six tonight. I leave you two lovebirds alone," Sakura mentioned, noting the beginning of a make-out session.

* * *

"Naruto, of course I'd find you here," Sakura motioned to the blond. He was sitting on one of the bar stools at Ichiraku. Next to him was his lovely fiancé, Hyuuga Hinata. Sakura placed a hand on his shoulder. It took him a few minutes to remember who she was because of the mask she's wearing.

"Oh, Sakura-dono," Naruto replied, bowing his head and then slurping his ramen.

"We have a mission tonight," the girl explained, placing the scroll next to his bowl. He took it in hands instantly.

"I understand," Naruto responded, paying the Ichiraku guy for his and Hinata's ramen. He kissed Hinata on the nose and hugged her. "I'll see you in 2 days."

"Hai, Naruto-kun," the Hyuuga spoke in her shy voice. Sakura left the two alone as she went off to find the last member of her squad.

* * *

"Why do I have to get her stupid mask?" Sai asked himself, tucking the mask under her arm.

"Because you're my inferior," Sakura retorted, sneaking up behind the unexpecting ANBU. She took the mask from under his arm. "Get my groceries, yet?"

"Hai, I put them away in your home," Sai replied, receiving a mischievous smirk from the ANBU commander.

"Did you go through my stuff?" Sakura questioned, causing Sai to blush.

"Ah, no, just put away the groceries!" Sai answered, a bit nervous.

"Okees!" Sakura squealed.

"What did you come to talk to me about?" the inferior ANBU asked. Sakura pulled out the scroll from her pocket, handing it to him.

"It's at six tonight, but I don't trust this mission. I have a bad feeling about it," the ANBU commander worried, receiving a glance from Sai as they approached her house.

"What do you recommend we do?" Sai questioned.

Sakura explained her plan in a hushed tone.

* * *

The time came.

Sakura's newly redone mask was placed on her face. Her katana rested graciously on her back. Her pack was already set with weapons and medicine.

Her foot tapped impatiently as she waited with of her teammates and the old man.

"Damn, Naruto," Neji growled, kicking the dirt. Sai just stared at his teammates, analyzing the old man also.

Naruto charged, skidding to a halt before running into his commander. Sakura glared at him behind her mask.

"Let's go," the woman said, showing no emotion as she started walking on the path out of the fire country.

Sai and the old man quickly followed behind. Neji shook his head at Naruto's lateness and started on the path.

Naruto nervously laughed, rubbing the back of his head as he caught up to his squad.

"Idumo-san, you think you can keep up?" Sakura briefly asked, not looking back at the man who walked on his cane.

"I've been a ninja for 50 years. I think I can," the old man replied, launching off into the forest. Sakura giggled, catching up to the old man. The squad behind her quickly caught up, not strained at all.

* * *

Hours… It was 3 o'clock in the morning, and Sakura noticed the lag in her squad's movements, well Naruto's.

"Let's set up camp," Sakura called. The squad stopped in the clearing. "Sai and I will have first watch, Neji and Naruto are second," the commander explained, getting a nod from her teammates. Sai and Sakura silently sat at the fire waiting for the rest to go to bed.

"You think this plan will work?" Sai asked, looking over at the old man's tent.

"Of course." Sakura wasn't completely sure, but she had to trust her instincts.

"Rokudaime is such a fitting title for you," Sai said looking over his beautiful teammate.

"Well, no duh. I have a bad feeling about this mission though." Sakura tucked back her pink locks. She leaned her head on Sai's shoulder a bit tired from all the stress in the past couple of weeks. Sai blushed a bit, hoping the cherry blossom didn't notice the pink tinted on his cheeks.

"Sakura," he whispered.

"Hm?"

"Never mind." Sai took in the moment and relaxed against Sakura's head. There was only a few more hours until their departure.

"Promise me that we'll always be best friends," Sakura brought up. Sai nodded briefly.

The night passed by quickly with Neji and Naruto taking their shift. Things were running smoothly. The old man snored, but the others ignored it. He woke up one moment and ran off to piss in the bushes and take a quick bath. They thought nothing of it.

* * *

Idumo looked back, but then focused on what was in front of him. The hooded figure was emotionless and held something in his hand.

"Knock the ANBU out, and I'll give you the riches you can never imagine," he spoke in deep tone. Idumo knew that the hooded figure would kill him if he did not follow orders.

"As long as I get that million, your wishes are my command," Idumo remarked, bowing his head silently. Idumo looked back to see the ANBU packing up. The hooded figure disappeared as the female approached.

"Idumo-san, it's time to go!" the pink haired kunoichi told him, turning back to the others. Idumo nodded and caught up to the commander. He didn't look back.

* * *

The pink haired woman wrapped a bandage around Naruto's leg and shook her head at his clumsiness. He screwed up in an ambush with missing-nin.

They decided to jump out of nowhere and try to kidnap the old man, but Sakura being the ANBU commander, kicked their butts and knocked them out right then and there.

Naruto had been stupid and didn't dodge a kunai that hit his leg. She shook her head at him seeing as how no other member on the team was wounded. Idumo was barely scratched. He was able to remain hidden from the enemy long enough to kill them.

Sakura glanced at the old man. Her eyes narrowed at Idumo's stance. It was filled with panic.

"Idumo-san, let us take a walk while the others set up camp," Sakura spoke, causing the old man to almost have a heart attack. Sai quickly put a hand on her shoulder. She mouth to him that _it'll be okay_.

Sai regrettably walked off to set up the camp, worried for the girl's safety.

"Idumo, I know we are to protect you, but you it seems you have gotten yourself into some trouble. You must be more careful," Sakura briefly explained. Idumo nodded. Not answering her. He had a look of disdain plastered on his face. "Is something troubling you? I sometimes wonder, what is this great jutsu that makes you so important?"

"You are a young woman. You should not be a ninja. You should be at home with family. Just like Sasara was supposed to be." The old man pulled out a picture of purple haired girl with brown eyes. She smiled and flashed off her sand forehead plate. "She died a couple of years ago. You remind me of her, always so confident in herself."

Sakura silently gasped at the picture. "I'm sorry."

"You didn't know. She was my niece. Sasara was just about to get married to a handsome young man before her life in a mission. I miss her terribly. She was my only family," the old man replied, sadness etched on the wrinkles of his face.

"Idumo-san, I'm sorry for expecting you of something." Sakura still doubted him. He couldn't see that she was still analyzing him, suspecting him of more than just being sad. She shook her head. "It seems the others have made camp. We should go back." She turned her feet quickly, charting a course for the campfire off in the distance. The old man said nothing and followed close by.

"I'll have first watch tonight. The rest of you sleep," Sakura ordered, receiving nods from her teammates. She looked over to Sai.

"Be careful, commander," Sai replied, heading into his two man tent that he shared with the old man. Naruto and Neji had already jumped into their tent to fall asleep. Neji meditated for a while Naruto went right to sleep.

Sakura sighed and sat down on the ground by the campfire. She noticed that the old man had sat next to her. He was silent. He stared peacefully into the fire.

"Life is short."

* * *

Tsunade rubbed her tired eyes, ready to jump into the bottle that sat in front of her. The delicious warm sake that she so craved dared her to drink, but she shook her head and focused back on the paper in front of him.

Just ten minutes ago, she had been browsing through the newspaper checking on the latest lotto. She had a bad feeling about the mission she had sent her apprentice on.

Low and behold, the same exact lottery number made her the winner of millions.

"Sakura…"

Shizune had been bringing files in for Tsunade after the Hokage barked out for the files on the mission and whoever this old man was.

Although excitement of winning so much money should be there, everyone knew that winning such things if you were Tsunade meant horror. Something bad was going to happen. Even if there were so many other teams were on missions, the most important person to her was out on a dangerous mission. Her apprentice had left with an unusual old man claiming to be from Sand.

She took no care in asking Sand if what this man had claimed to be true. She merely thought this man was the only one for a jutsu determining his age.

Her pen was swiftly writing out a note. One of grave importance. She cared nothing if it would get to Sand and her in time.

"I'm sure Sakura is all right, Tsunade-sama," Shizune tried to comfort the old lady, but she knew that Tsunade was most likely right in her assumption. She would never win the lotto unless it meant something was going to horribly go wrong.

"No, I won't rest until I make sure this mission is safe for her." Tsunade continued to scan over the file for Idumo-san. The information startled her.

_A traitor_

It read in bold letters. She had never seen it before, but there it read before her, _a traitor to the Sand village._

"Shizune, quickly gather up Kakashi, Lee, Hinata, and Ino! Send them after Sakura's team immediately and no hesitation!" Tsunade barked out orders to her secretary. Shizune was quick to rush out the door to send off an ANBU bird.

Tsunade looked at the sake and gulped it down.

"Oh, Kami, please make sure she's safe."

* * *

The hooded figure watched the fire burn. His eyes watched the flames flicker and make the pink hair that he adored glow into a rosette color. He stared down at the group before him. He was perched on a tree, chakra hidden.

He was waiting, waiting for the old man to make his move. He focused on the girl of the group, not taking an eye off her.

Not a moment too soon, the old man silently hit the girl over the head after speaking.

"Life is too short," the old man had told her before knocking her out with butt of a kunai.

The hooded figure's eyes widened at what formed before him.

_Damn it._

* * *

"Life is too short."

Sakura looked over to the old man before receiving a blunt force on her head.

_You were right, Sakura._

She quickly fell to her knees and then falling flat on her stomach.

_This plan did work. As long as you're safe, Sakura._

She became unconscious. The old man snickered silently. He had succeeded in the first part of taking down the group.

A poof suddenly exploded. Sakura was no longer on the ground. Instead, there laid the man she had consoled with before the mission.

His black hair shined with the flames that brightened the night.

The old man's hands were shaking.

Neji and Naruto were yelling out, running to the way out of the tent. He quickly stood in front Neji and Naruto's tent, doing the jutsu that he had called his own.

The symbols were unrecognizable. Before the two were able to get out of the tent, the jutsu quickly put them into a genjutsu, knocking them out quickly.

He then turned to the tent he was supposed to sleep in that night. There rested Sai or whoever he was.

The real Sai lay in front of the fire, unconscious. He had taken the form of Sakura this whole time.

_Sai _opened the tent quickly, looking down at the copy of himself in front of the fire.

He scowled, knowing that he was right about this happening in the beginning.

"Who are you?" Idumo asked the fake Sai who began to get a kunai out.

"I am the Rokudaime." Sai quickly turned into the one that Idumo had thought he knocked out. He turned into the cherry blossom of Konoha.

A hooded figure appeared behind the cherry blossom, holding a kunai to her neck. The blade felt warm as if he had been holding it the entire time.

"Sakura." The hooded figure spoke in a familiar voice. The girl disappeared, and no longer was in front of the man.

"Y-you bastard!"

* * *

**(Author's note: Yes, I know I've been late in updating, but I've had school and swim team and all that excuses. Half of you on fanfiction should know the problems with school interfering with writing wonderful stories.**

**Buhahahhahahah! Who is the hooded figure? What does he want from our Rokudaime? And what the hell is with Idumo?! Find out next time!**

**-burps- Yes, I am doing this while I'm tired and wishing to go to bed, so ignore my lame acting skills. )**


	5. Syringe

Yes, I've been lazy

Yes, I've been lazy!  
Itachi: Very Lazy!  
K023: Oh, shut it!

But since it's summer and I have summer school, I have found time to finally work on this chapter. I've also had major writer's block, wondering how I should right this. I think I was supposed to work on another story also. Ruck… Rack… Rock Star? –wonders-  
Sakura: Rock Star or Normal Girl!

K023: Oh, yeah. That story! Such a good story. But very writer's blockish!

Itachi: Now, on with the story!

K023: Story… What story?

Itachi: -uses Mangekyou Sharingan-

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but I do own the original characters and Itachi. –Itachi shakes his head- D: So mean! Fine, fine! On with the story!**

The Blossom

Chapter 5

**Recap:**

"Who are you?" Idumo asked the fake Sai who began to get a kunai out.

"I am the Rokudaime." Sai quickly turned into the one that Idumo had thought he knocked out. He turned into the cherry blossom of Konoha.

A hooded figure appeared behind the cherry blossom, holding a kunai to her neck. The blade felt warm as if he had been holding it the entire time.

"Sakura." The hooded figure spoke in a familiar voice. The girl disappeared, and no longer was in front of the man.

"Y-you bastard!"

**Recap End**

"Y-you bastard!" Sakura pulled a kunai out of her pack quickly.

"Sakura." The hooded figure watched her every move. She gritted her teeth, ready to kill if she has to. The figure removed his hood to reveal who Sakura knew it was.  
"Uchiha Sasuke, you traitor!" Sakura yelled out with fury, looking at Sai and the tent. She clenched her fists.

"Sorry, Sakura, but I need money!" the old man called out to her. Sakura glared at him.

"You're a liar, a traitor to the sand village! Why should you deserve to live?!" Sakura screamed, holding tighter onto the katana. She threw her kunai at the man who she so despised, making the kunai almost invisible. Sasuke dodged the kunai and disappeared.

Sakura focused her chakra, trying to pull out any hint of the Uchiha. She quickly turned her head towards Idumo.

"Old man, move!" Sakura barked, but it was too late. Sasuke had already slit Idumo's throat. The blood seeped down the old man's shirt, and he quickly fell to the ground with a quick death.

Sasuke smirked and looked at the Rokudaime.  
"Sakura-chan. My dear princess," Sasuke whispered. Sakura shook at this.  
"Why the hell would you do that?! He's your ally!" Sakura stared into the Uchiha's eyes, ready for battle.

"Because he's useless to me now. I don't need him." Sasuke chuckled. Sakura closed her eyes and then opened them.  
"I'll kill you right here and now, you bastard!"

"Tsunade-sama!" Tsunade looked up to the woman who called her. Tsunade had been pondering whether to go after the cherry blossom herself.

"There isn't enough time!" Tsunade stared at the woman, bound for tears.

"They're here for the mission!" Shizune called out to her. Tsunade instantly nodded, wiping around the tears that began to form.

"Let them in!" Tsunade ordered. The door opened to the four she called for this mission: a spiky silver haired man, a boy who you wouldn't even recognize, a pearl eyed girl, and a blond beauty.

"Hatake Kakashi, Rock Lee, Hyuuga Hinata, and Yamanaka Ino. I have called you in for a mission. This mission requires ANBU suit. Kakashi is team captain." Tsunade looked at each face, curious as to what is happening.

"And the mission?" Ino patiently questioned. Tsunade nodded.  
"I had sent ANBU Squad 1 out for an escort mission. It was supposed to be routine, but I just had learned that the client is actually an exile of the sand village." The team in front of her gaped, wondering what this is leading to. "We have reason to believe that the client is working with Uchiha Sasuke."

The team was in shock. Kakashi clenched his, prepared to leave the office at this moment to hunt for the traitor. Lee bit his lip, brushing his fingers through his spiked hair with frustration. Hinata quivered her lip at this. Ino clenched her fist, wondering who the target on that squad is.

"When do we leave?" Lee questioned, ready to sprint out the door.

"They are headed to the Sand Village supposedly, but I am sure that they will attack the squad along the way. It is of dire importance that you go now before it is too late. Uchiha Sasuke had already tried to assassinate Haruno Sakura 2 days ago. Now go!" Tsunade ordered. The team was already gone before she got the chance to look at them.

The pink pig in Shizune's arms shook with sadness as she watched her master look out the window.

Sakura threw several shuriken at the man who had attacked her squad. He flipped out of the way, getting cut on the side by one of the many sharp weapons. He ran around, lunging at the cherry blossom. She spinned out of the way as he tried to stab her with the katana he owned. She threw a kunai in the process. He stepped to the side, dodging it easily.

"What do you want, Sasuke? Why are you after me?" Sakura gritted her teeth, throwing another kunai as he appeared behind her. She poofed out of his view and hid in the tree.

"Because I want strength. I want to achieve my goals."

"That's a stupid reason." Sakura attempted to stab Sasuke in the back with her katana.

"Not when it's a goal of importance." Sakura glared and lunged at Sasuke.

"Be careful, Sakura. Don't get too hasty!" He threw several kunai backwards toward Naruto and Neji's tent. Her eyes widened, and she instantly went to block it, getting stabbed in the arm by several kunai. Her arm dropped like deadweight.

Sakura gaped at her arm, and Sasuke smirked.

"Looks like I found a weak spot." Sasuke quickly appeared behind the tent, throwing several shuriken to the ground of tent. Sakura appeared and blocked it with her right leg. She flinched at the pain.

"You're getting weaker and weaker, Sakura!" Sasuke exclaimed.

"Shut up!" Sakura screamed. "I will protect the ones I love!" Sasuke grinned mischievously. He disappeared and appeared by the campfire, grabbing the back of Sai's neck and holding him up. "No!"

Hinata looked around at those who came with her. Her fiancé and his best friend were in trouble. She had to protect the ones she loved.

"God damn, Sasuke! He's a stupid cunt!" Ino cursed, jumping to another tree branch.

"I can't believe he would attack his old teammate!" Lee exclaimed, punching the air as he jumped to another branch.

"I can believe it," Kakashi muttered, looking ahead with his ANBU mask on. Lee and Ino looked at towards Kakashi. Each ANBU mask showed no expression, but they knew what it did show behind all of them. Worry. Regret. Guilt. Anger.

"How about we make ramen when everyone gets home!" Hinata suggested, trying to make them all feel better. Each mask turned towards her. She gave them hope that everyone would come home. She was already planning ahead, thinking that they would all come home safe. Everyone would be alive. It was a small candle light to lead them ahead.

'Sakura, Naruto, Sai, Neji, please come home.' Hinata prayed to Kami that everything would be okay.

Tsunade once again played the lottery, checking if her thoughts were correct. Something bad was going to happen, wasn't it? 24… 24… 78… 78… 13… 13… 6… 6… and the mega number… 21… 21…

"Fuck." Tsunade immediately gulped down her sake.

His flickered opened and closed. He looked at his surrounding silently. He kept his breathing steady as his eyes watched a flash of pink hair pass by him.

'_Sakura… I've failed you, haven't I? Please don't lose.' _The pink haired girl looked worried for him. _'I love you. Please don't give up for me.'_

"Let him go!" Sakura screamed, grabbing a kunai quickly. Sasuke smirked, holding a kunai to Sai's back. Sakura bit her lip.

"Give up, Sakura, or I will kill him," Sasuke ordered. Sakura eyes widened. Her fingers loosened on the kunai she held tightly. He twisted the knife a little into Sai's back. Blood dropped to the floor, and she knew she had to save him. She couldn't lose him.

"Fine." Sakura dropped the kunai to the floor. A tear dropped to the dry dirt that shifted under the cherry blossom's delicate feet.

Sasuke smirked, and a clone appeared behind Sakura, stabbing a syringe into her back. Her eyes widened and struggled to keep open.

"Sai," she whispered as her vision blurred.

'_Please don't give up for me! Please, Sakura! Stay awake!' _the voice whispered to himself.

"Sakura," he whispered gently. A sharp pain filled his back as he felt a long sword going right through his stomach. He fell to the ground, blood trickling down his lips.

Sakura tried to see what was happening. Her vision became clear for one second, but in that one second, she saw the man she was protecting get stabbed with Sasuke's katana. Her mask slipped off to reveal her beautiful face that every man had craved.

"Sai… no. Sai," she gasped out. Everything turned black, and the face of the boy named Sai was frozen in her mind as the darkness fell on her.

Sasuke chuckled. He looked at the cherry blossom he had sent into sleep. Her soft lips called to him. He was satisfied. No one would stop him as he tries to succeed in his ambition. He wiped Sai's blood clean off of his katana, and slipped right into the holster.

Sasuke bent down and gently picked up Sakura bridal style. He stepped over the old man who lay by the fire. He looked back one last time, smirking at his progress. He then looked down at the peaceful woman who slept in his arms.

The man ran at a fast pace, disappearing from the campsite.

Naruto jumped from the place he was laying.

"What the hell?!" Naruto yelled. He shook the Hyuuga next to him awake.

"W-what?" Neji muttered, looking around him, seeing the tent surroundings.

"What happened?"

"I remember…. Oh my Kami!" Neji yelped, ripping the tent's flap open. The fire was only little smoke that puffed up form the ashes.

Naruto looked around, and the first thing he saw was the old man. He ran over to him and flipped the man over, only to see dry blood and dirt filling the slice on his neck.

"Fuck. The mission is screwed. Where's Sakura and Sai?!" Naruto questioned. Neji looked inside the tent that Sakura was sharing with Sai and Idumo. Neji shook his head and looked at Naruto. As he looked at Naruto, he noticed a figure sprawled out on the floor. Neji ran over to the figure. He took off the mask resting on the man's face.

It revealed what they fear. Sai.

"Damn it, we have to get him to Konoha! He's going to die of blood loss!" Neji exclaimed. He looked around the campfire only to find Sakura's mask. He picked it up and stared at the shape of it. "Someone took Sakura."

Naruto clenched his teeth, giving Sai a piggy back ride, afraid eh would die if he stayed here any longer. "I'll make the bastard pay for what he did to Sai and Sakura!" Naruto ran quickly towards Konoha. Neji followed, looking behind him as the old man was on his shoulder, and the mask was in his other hand.

"Sai, don't give up!" Naruto exclaimed, even though the man was unconscious.

Hinata watched the grounds below them for any sign. The others were looking straight ahead, but she felt them down on the ground.

"Naruto!" Hinata screamed as they passed above them. She landed instantly next to Naruto as he ran towards Konoha. He quickly noticed who was next to him.

"Hinata! Heal him! Ino! Please, you guys have to help him! He's dying!" Naruto screamed, laying Sai floor. Ino and Hinata nodded, rushing to heal the black haired man who had a hole in his stomach. Naruto began to cry. Neji clenched his fists.

"Naruto, what happened?!" Kakashi questioned, eyeing the old man on Neji's shoulder.

"We were attacked!" Naruto answered, looking at the ground.

"W-where's Sakura?!" Lee pleaded, looking at the two were actually conscious.

"She was taken! Someone took her! We were knocked unconscious by this stupid old man's jutsu. Only Sai can tell us!" Neji answered for Naruto. Ino and Hinata seemed to be in panic.

"We're losing him!" Ino yelled, trying her best to heal Sai with her and Hinata's chakra.

Hinata tried her best to force more chakra.

"Naruto," a voice rasped out. Naruto looked down at man who was in need of saving.

"Sai." Tears began to fall from under Naruto's mask. He took it off instantly. He was losing Sai. He was losing another brother.

"Tell us who took Sakura!" Neji pleaded the man who was dying.

"Uchiha… Sas…uke…" Sai tried his best to say the name.

The whole group was almost shocked, but they expected this. Sai tried to steady his breathing.

"That bastard," Naruto muttered, prepared to kill the one who took his precious sister.

"Naruto, I have something I would like you to do for me," Sai whispered as well as he could. Naruto bent down to Sai's side. Ino and Hinata believed that Sai was going to live. The hole was sealing up, but he lost so much blood. There was no way of telling.

"Name it."

Oooooh! I actually dedicated this day to writing this so be happy I got this much done! –is satisfied with her work- Please fav and review! I like reading all the nice reviews! It makes me feel loved! : D


	6. Freedom?

Sorry for not updating. Same excuse, too much school, a famous excuse used by most of the people who write stories. But luckily, it's my senior year! Yay for graduating! I'm almost free of that horrible place the government uses to "teach children". Although there is also college. Bleh. And also I've been working on my book. Yes, a book! Look for it when I say it's out! It's called Crucio. Buy it! Yeah! But only when I say I finally got it published. I'm satisfied with my work. :D I've already got a hundred pages done and it's not even half way done. Yays!

I don't know what you'll think of this chapter. Warning, it does refer to things some readers might not want to read about. That's why this story is rated M and not T,

**Diclaimer: Blah blah. I don't own anyone except for the original characters and this plotline. Yada yada. XD **

* * *

_The Blossom_

* * *

_Chapter 6_

* * *

**Recap:**

"That bastard," Naruto muttered, prepared to kill the one who took his precious sister.

"Naruto, I have something I would like you to do for me," Sai whispered as well as he could. Naruto bent down to Sai's side. Ino and Hinata believed that Sai was going to live. The hole was sealing up, but he lost so much blood. There was no way of telling.

"Name it."

**Recap End**

* * *

Eyes closed and open, closed, open. The room kept moving in her eyes. How long had she been here? Why is it so cold? Thoughts continued as she looked at surrounding, unable to move.

Water continued to drip from the ceiling, echoing in the dark chamber that she believed she was in.

Her emerald eyes continued to search, pain flowing through them as her body ached.

Had she been here for days? Weeks? Months? She tried to search through her memory for the most recent.

She was on a mission before she came to be here.

The mission was to escort some sand nin back to his village, a traitorous old man. Sasara? Probably a made up story.

What happened in those last moments?

Sai, Naruto, Neji. Where were they? Naruto and Neji were unconscious. Sai… he was… he was… What happened to that onyx eyed boy? The memory was a blur.

Sasuke, he was there. He had put her to sleep with a syringe through the back.

But Sai… what happened to him? Something happened to him.

Sakura knew that their plans had failed, and their cover was blown. They knew that Sai and Sakura had changed into each other, in order to protect the pink haired one. And it failed, when somehow the ANBU had been knocked unconscious.

Sai was stabbed. She remembered now. Before passing out, she saw the Uchiha boy plant his sword in Sai's stomach. Was he alive? Tears began to well up in her eyes. Was he dead?

She could hear footsteps walking down a long path. The footsteps echoed. Whoever they belonged to was determined to get to their destination. She heard a cellar door being open, her cellar door.

Light poured into the dark chamber. She could see now that the dark stones wall surrounding her and the heavy steel door that just opened. She found that she is strapped to a bed, but it wasn't very soft.

The pink haired woman looked at who stood in the doorway. Kabuto and the person who brought her here, Uchiha Sasuke. Kabuto took out a syringe that looked similar to the one Sasuke had back at the campsite.

Sakura knew what he was going to do. She cursed.

"Stay the hell away from me, you scum bag!" Sakura screamed, starting to kick her feet which were not strapped to the bed beneath her. Sasuke stared at her. Why was she so tired? She could have easily escaped from this.

"It's nice to see you again, Haruno Sakura. I would love to kill you, but Sasuke has other plans," Kabuto whispered. He managed to avoid her kicking feet and stabbed the syringe right into her arm.

Sakura snarled. "It's not so nice to see you. Now let me the fuck go before I fucking kill you," Sakura yelled. She felt her chakra leaving her. Kabuto removed the syringe and smiled.

"That liquid is a concoction of mine that depletes your chakra dramatically and keeps you weak," Kabuto explained, noticing her confusement.

"You stinking bastard! What the hell do you guys want?"

"That's Sasuke's business to say. Now I shall leave you two alone." Kabuto closed the cellar door behind him. The light was now on. It had been hanging on the ceiling. Sasuke didn't have his sharingan on.

"Sakura, just as weak as you were when we were teammates, much better." Sasuke had a smirk on his face.

"What the hell do you want, Uchiha?" Sakura barked. She was going to rip that smirk off his face when she gets free. She attempted to move her hands, but the straps on her wrist only tightened.

"I need your body." Sakura's eyes widened at this. "I need you for my goal to revive the Uchiha clan." She bit her lip. Sasuke walked slowly over to the place where she lay.

"Stay the fuck away from me!" Sakura screamed, beginning to panic. She tried to kick, but her legs were screaming at her that they're too tired. She wouldn't let her tears fall.

He took out a kunai and placed it at the top of her ANBU vest.

The kunai slid through her vest and the shirt under, ripping it apart to reveal her breasts. She swallowed the lump in her throat. He ripped open her skirt, revealing her silk pink underwear.

"Stop, Sasuke! Please!" Sasuke stared into her eyes.

"I only want to accomplish my goal." He removed his pants.

That night he raped her. And her screams were echoing down the long hall. She screamed out for help.

The Rokudaime-to-be was not strong enough to save herself.

Tears were rolling down her cheeks the next morning. A blanket had been draped over her, but she was still strapped to the hard bed where she was tragically raped.

Sakura bit her lip, looking at a random spot on the wall. No one had come to bother her. Sasuke left her after he raped her. To where? She did not know. Hopefully, far away where he would somehow forget her.

She wanted to die. She knew the suicide jutsu, but she didn't have the chakra or the ability to use her hands.

She had sobbed the night before after he left. She cried herself to sleep, waking up the next morning to find a blanket covering her naked body.

The Sasuke she knew may have not been open to people, but at least he cared for his teammates' safety.

But this Sasuke was cruel and not afraid to state what he's going to do. He didn't care if anyone gets hurt. He uses people.

_What happened to him? _She spoke to herself in her mind.

_**A stupid asshole! He raped you! Kill the bastard! **_Inner Sakura screamed. Sakura was agreeing, but she was still wondering what happened the night before.

_Naruto, Sai, Neji, Ino, please don't give up on me._

"I think you two should still get married. The search parties are working on finding the location of Haruno Sakura, but while the searches are going on, I think Sakura would've liked it if you would've continued with the wedding," a large-breasted woman spoke to the couple in front of her. The woman had called the two in her office to discuss their engagement, knowing about the problem of whether going on with the wedding or not.

* * *

Two weeks ago, the blond haired boy who stood in front of the woman's desk had lost his best friend. His best friend Haruno Sakura was kidnapped.

"I know that your wedding was supposed to be next week Sunday, and I think she would've wanted you to continue the wedding with or without her. Hinata, Naruto, this is your decision, not mine, but I still advise that you do the wedding because Sakura would want you to go on without her," the woman comforted.

"Sakura was supposed to be one of my bride's maids, and Sai…" Hinata paused, knowing the touchy of subject of the boy's name. Naruto put a comforting hand on his fiance's shoulder.

"I think the Hokage is right. Those two would've wanted us to be happy and married," Naruto admitted to the lavender eyed girl. They both were saddened that Sai would not be there and especially saddened about Sakura. Hinata nodded.

"I bet when Sakura comes back," not replacing the word when with if, "she'll be very happy to see the rings on your finger," Tsunade replied.

"We'll go on with the wedding, Lady Tsunade," Hinata quietly spoke. Tsunade grinned, trying to hide her grief over the two people who are missing.

"Have you got everything ready? The wedding is next week." Hinata and Naruto nodded, trying to smile. Two people weren't going to be at there wedding, two very important people, Naruto's two teammates.

* * *

Kabuto stood in her room, analyzing her and checking her temperature. "Time to eat, Sakura," he ordered, picking up a bowl off the tray he brought in. It consisted of chicken broth by what she could tell, probably isn't. Bread had been sitting beside it. "Open," Kabuto commanded, annoyed that he has to feed her.

Sakura's mouth wouldn't open. She was too stubborn. She didn't want to continue to live. She didn't want to be Sasuke's slave.

"Eat, or I'll do something horrible to you. Sasuke said I could do anything I want as long as I don't kill you, and I know you don't want to go through any more torture than you already have," Kabuto threatened. Sakura pondered on the choices. Something horrible by Kabuto or continue to live with Sasuke and be raped again most likely? Such a tough choice.

She forced her mouth to open, and the warm broth seeped down her hoarse throat.

"Good girl," Kabuto remarked, feeding her another spoonful. She scowled in her mind. Anything to keep the scum bag from touching her. She had the urge to bite his grubby little fingers off. He'll be the first one she kills when she is able to get free.

Stupid Kabuto! Stupid Sasuke! She hated the two with a passion. Kabuto caressed her cheek after he was done feeding her. He leaned in to kiss her. She spat in his face.

"Get the hell away from me, creep!" Kabuto scowled. He raised his hand to slap her.

"Kabuto. Orochimaru would like to talk to you right now," a deep voice called. Kabuto sighed. Off to see the snake who caused her to be in this stupid situation by sending Sasuke after her.

Speak of the devil. The pale man stood over her, his onyx eyes looking over her covered body. She couldn't wait to strangle him.

"Little cherry blossom. You'll be the mother of my children. You should be proud. You're continuing the Uchiha bloodline," Sasuke commented. She rolled her eyes. The guy could go screw himself. She didn't want to be here on this table. She would rather gouge the man's eyes out if he didn't stop looking at her.

"What do you want, you jerk?!" She sighed. It was useless to threaten him. She was in such a weak state right now. Her face eased into calm.

"I just told you what I want. I want you. I want your body. I want you to carry my child." She tried so hard not to yell at him, tried so hard not to curse at him.

"I think you've made a horrible mistake. I'd rather marry a pig than get raped by you again!" she hissed. Sasuke smirked, tracing her jaw line with his fingers. He was so dangerously close to her mouth. She snapped her teeth at her fingers. Sasuke pulled them back before those pearl teeth of her bit into flesh. He chuckled.

"You're a strong woman, Sakura. But… I'm the kidnapper. You're the hostage. I can do whatever I bloody want to you. And all you can do is scream and cry," Sasuke replied, throwing off the blanket covering her nudity. Sakura knew he was trying to break her.

"Naruto will save me. And I'll kill you with my own bare hands. I should never have let you live." Sasuke titled his head at me with a playful pout.

"For now, I'll keep taking you until I get my descendant," Sasuke retorted. He walked over to her legs.

"Get the hell away from me!" Sakura screamed. Tear formed on her face.

"I need my heir."

He raped her again, laughing at all her screams. Sakura's face was covered in tears when he left.

_Please, Naruto, Neji, Sai, Ino, anyone! Please save me! Please stop him!_

She fell into a deep sleep, nightmares crowding her mind, nightmares of him raping her over and over.

_I need freedom._

_

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Please review and stuff! Sorry for the long wait. I've been really busy with other stuff. XP


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